John A. Heldt's Blog, page 6
February 7, 2023
Building a bigger Apple
The book, now seventy percent complete, is going to be a big one. With 90 chapters and a projected 132,000 words, it will trail only
The Memory Tree
and
River Rising
among my twenty-two novels.
That's all right with me. As writer Joseph Cambell once said, "If you're going to have a story, have a big story, or none at all."
Annie's Apple, the second installment of the Second Chance series, will also cover a lot of territory. From the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to the sinking of the RMS
Titanic
, it will pay at least some attention to the major historical events of 1911 and 1912.
Though I still have twenty-six more chapters to write, I have taken care of at least one important matter. Thanks to the timely work of Michelle Argyle, I have a cover. The Melissa Williams Design illustrator finished the novel's Kindle and paperback cover this week and is now working on the audiobook cover.
The book's cover, like its title, is a play on Annie Carpenter, the main protagonist, and the Big Apple, the city she calls her own. The cover features a 1911 drawing by Charles Dana Gibson of Gibson Girl fame. I thought the young woman portrayed in the illustration captured the essence of my Annie, a 20-year-old society reporter and prolific letter writer. Many thanks to the Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs Division for making the image available.
As reported earlier, I hope to finish the first draft of Annie's Apple in March and publish the book itself in the first half of May.
That's all right with me. As writer Joseph Cambell once said, "If you're going to have a story, have a big story, or none at all."
Annie's Apple, the second installment of the Second Chance series, will also cover a lot of territory. From the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to the sinking of the RMS
Titanic
, it will pay at least some attention to the major historical events of 1911 and 1912. Though I still have twenty-six more chapters to write, I have taken care of at least one important matter. Thanks to the timely work of Michelle Argyle, I have a cover. The Melissa Williams Design illustrator finished the novel's Kindle and paperback cover this week and is now working on the audiobook cover.
The book's cover, like its title, is a play on Annie Carpenter, the main protagonist, and the Big Apple, the city she calls her own. The cover features a 1911 drawing by Charles Dana Gibson of Gibson Girl fame. I thought the young woman portrayed in the illustration captured the essence of my Annie, a 20-year-old society reporter and prolific letter writer. Many thanks to the Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs Division for making the image available.
As reported earlier, I hope to finish the first draft of Annie's Apple in March and publish the book itself in the first half of May.
January 10, 2023
Taking on the Titanic
It is the gold standard of tragedies. For more than 110 years, the sinking of the RMS Titanic has inspired books, movies, and conspiracy theories and captured the public's imagination. Like Pearl Harbor, September 11, and the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, it is a fountain of intrigue that never runs dry.
I kept that in mind this week as I turned my attention to an event that will play a small but vital part in Annie's Apple, my current work in progress and the second book in the Second Chance triology.
As a longtime Titanic fan, I am very familiar with the big picture. I've read the books, seen the movies, and perused numerous papers and articles. I visited the traveling artifact exhibition when it made stops in Seattle (2001) and Idaho Falls (2009). I have even paid lip service to Titanic trivia, such as the mind-numbing debate over whether Jack and Rose could have both fit on the floating door. (For those who care, Time magazine covered it all in 2019.)
Even so, I'm still learning things. While researching the Titanic, I learned that a coal fire below deck burned for days while the ship was at sea. I also enhanced my knowledge of the Titanic-Olympic conspiracy, communications problems, and the collection of survivors and victims. I found that even a student of history can pick up a few things about a widely reported historical event.
Like many, perhaps, I was moved most by stories of the disaster's final victims. On May 13, 1912, crew members from the RMS Oceanic pulled three corpses from a lifeboat they found drifting in the ocean nearly a month after the sinking. A few weeks later, crewmen from the steamship Algerine collected James McGrady, an Irish saloon steward, and buried him in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The sinking, of course, was more than a disaster. It was a pivotal moment in history, a moment where the Gilded Age met the Industrial Age and pride and excess collided with science and math.
I plan to write my Titanic chapters in February. In the meantime, I will reread Walter Lord's A Night to Remember, scan more New York Times articles, and even watch Jack and Rose run around a doomed liner one more time. I figure it's the least I can do to get a better understanding of a tragic event that still shocks and inspires.
Photo: The last lifeboat of survivors reaches the rescue ship Carpathia. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
I kept that in mind this week as I turned my attention to an event that will play a small but vital part in Annie's Apple, my current work in progress and the second book in the Second Chance triology.
As a longtime Titanic fan, I am very familiar with the big picture. I've read the books, seen the movies, and perused numerous papers and articles. I visited the traveling artifact exhibition when it made stops in Seattle (2001) and Idaho Falls (2009). I have even paid lip service to Titanic trivia, such as the mind-numbing debate over whether Jack and Rose could have both fit on the floating door. (For those who care, Time magazine covered it all in 2019.) Even so, I'm still learning things. While researching the Titanic, I learned that a coal fire below deck burned for days while the ship was at sea. I also enhanced my knowledge of the Titanic-Olympic conspiracy, communications problems, and the collection of survivors and victims. I found that even a student of history can pick up a few things about a widely reported historical event.
Like many, perhaps, I was moved most by stories of the disaster's final victims. On May 13, 1912, crew members from the RMS Oceanic pulled three corpses from a lifeboat they found drifting in the ocean nearly a month after the sinking. A few weeks later, crewmen from the steamship Algerine collected James McGrady, an Irish saloon steward, and buried him in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The sinking, of course, was more than a disaster. It was a pivotal moment in history, a moment where the Gilded Age met the Industrial Age and pride and excess collided with science and math.
I plan to write my Titanic chapters in February. In the meantime, I will reread Walter Lord's A Night to Remember, scan more New York Times articles, and even watch Jack and Rose run around a doomed liner one more time. I figure it's the least I can do to get a better understanding of a tragic event that still shocks and inspires.
Photo: The last lifeboat of survivors reaches the rescue ship Carpathia. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
December 11, 2022
Looking back and looking ahead
This year was like the proverbial month of March. It came in like a lion and is going out like a lamb. That's fine with me. After ten years of writing two novels a year, I'm all right with slowing down a bit.
That's not to say I was idle. I started a new series in 2022, marketed several older works, and found a talented voice artist to narrate Camp Lake three years after it was released as a Kindle book.
The Fountain , of course, was my biggest project of the past year. Published in August, it launched the Second Chance series and represented a significant change in direction. For the first time in years, I explored the past through the eyes of older adults. I intend to market the novel aggressively in 2023, beginning with a book group appearance in January. I am looking forward to that.
I did not finish The Fountain's sequel in 2022, but I did finish a big chunk. I am now 27 chapters into a historical epic that will have 90 to 92 overall. As I mentioned last month, I will focus on the Carpenters and Lees in New York in 1911 and 1912. I still plan to publish Annie's Apple — named after Annie Carpenter, the main protagonist, and the Big Apple, the city she calls her own — in early May.
I hope to publish the Camp Lake audiobook even sooner. Thanks to Chicago narrator Roberto Scarlato, the Audible title is now in the final stages of production. Look for a January 2023 release.
With the completion of Camp Lake , every book in my first three series will be available in audio. I hope to bring at least some of the remaining books up to speed in 2023, starting with The Fair.
Most of these milestones would not be possible without the continued support of readers. I am deeply appreciative of those who have read many of my books and truly humbled by those who have read all twenty-one. That is a statement worth observing.
Thank you again for your support and encouragement. I wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
That's not to say I was idle. I started a new series in 2022, marketed several older works, and found a talented voice artist to narrate Camp Lake three years after it was released as a Kindle book.
The Fountain , of course, was my biggest project of the past year. Published in August, it launched the Second Chance series and represented a significant change in direction. For the first time in years, I explored the past through the eyes of older adults. I intend to market the novel aggressively in 2023, beginning with a book group appearance in January. I am looking forward to that.
I did not finish The Fountain's sequel in 2022, but I did finish a big chunk. I am now 27 chapters into a historical epic that will have 90 to 92 overall. As I mentioned last month, I will focus on the Carpenters and Lees in New York in 1911 and 1912. I still plan to publish Annie's Apple — named after Annie Carpenter, the main protagonist, and the Big Apple, the city she calls her own — in early May.
I hope to publish the Camp Lake audiobook even sooner. Thanks to Chicago narrator Roberto Scarlato, the Audible title is now in the final stages of production. Look for a January 2023 release.
With the completion of Camp Lake , every book in my first three series will be available in audio. I hope to bring at least some of the remaining books up to speed in 2023, starting with The Fair.
Most of these milestones would not be possible without the continued support of readers. I am deeply appreciative of those who have read many of my books and truly humbled by those who have read all twenty-one. That is a statement worth observing.
Thank you again for your support and encouragement. I wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
November 22, 2022
The Second Chance sequel
Fourteen chapters are done. Two more are planned this week. Though they represent a fraction of the ninety I have outlined in my notes, they represent a significant start. My latest work in progress, book two of the Second Chance trilogy, is under way.
This book will be different in one respect. Unlike my first twenty-one novels, it will not include an act of time travel. It will instead follow the lives of three time travelers as they build families, careers, and relationships in Greater New York City in 1911 and 1912.
Annie Carpenter will get a star turn in this one. Now a society reporter of twenty, she will step onto a very public stage. She will find adventure, growth, and romance in unlikely places.
Brothers Bill and Paul and in-laws Cassie and Andy will also shine. As young people with big dreams, they will seize opportunities and seek answers in a thriving metropolis. The will build on the foundations they laid in The Fountain , the series' first book.
Like in the The Fountain , I will blend fiction and fact. I will bookend a long historical epic with the most notable disasters of the age: the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and the sinking of the HMS Titanic.
I am still working on a title and a cover concept. As for the novel itself, I hope to have a completed draft by March 1 and a completed book by May 1. As always, I will post updates along the way.
This book will be different in one respect. Unlike my first twenty-one novels, it will not include an act of time travel. It will instead follow the lives of three time travelers as they build families, careers, and relationships in Greater New York City in 1911 and 1912.
Annie Carpenter will get a star turn in this one. Now a society reporter of twenty, she will step onto a very public stage. She will find adventure, growth, and romance in unlikely places.
Brothers Bill and Paul and in-laws Cassie and Andy will also shine. As young people with big dreams, they will seize opportunities and seek answers in a thriving metropolis. The will build on the foundations they laid in The Fountain , the series' first book.
Like in the The Fountain , I will blend fiction and fact. I will bookend a long historical epic with the most notable disasters of the age: the Triangle Shirtwaist fire and the sinking of the HMS Titanic.
I am still working on a title and a cover concept. As for the novel itself, I hope to have a completed draft by March 1 and a completed book by May 1. As always, I will post updates along the way.
November 8, 2022
Review: Around the World ...
I admit I did not read the novel, the one by Jules Verne, or see the movie, the one that won Best Picture in 1956, but I have always been intrigued by the story. For that reason alone, I rushed to see the newest rendition of
Around the World in 80 Days
.
The eight-episode miniseries, set in 1872, is an imaginative production that captures the essence of cultures from Britain, France, and Italy to Arabia, India, and the United States.
David Tennant stars as Phileas Fogg, an Englishman who wagers that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Ibrahim Koma and Leonie Benesch shine as Jean Passepartout and Abigail Fix Fortescue, the wealthy eccentric's travel companions.
Though I liked the settings and the plot, I most enjoyed the primary characters. All bring something to the story. Each wrestles with a personal demon. All come to appreciate the others when their lives and fortunes are on the line. I also liked that the series, which debuted on PBS in January, did not shy away from difficult topics, like racism, sexism, colonialism, and bitter family disputes.
There is also adventure. From balloon rides, train trips, and perilous voyages to encounters with bad guys, Around the World in 80 Days delivers the goods. It provides the kind of compelling old-fashioned entertainment that is often in short supply. Rating: 5/5.
The eight-episode miniseries, set in 1872, is an imaginative production that captures the essence of cultures from Britain, France, and Italy to Arabia, India, and the United States.
David Tennant stars as Phileas Fogg, an Englishman who wagers that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Ibrahim Koma and Leonie Benesch shine as Jean Passepartout and Abigail Fix Fortescue, the wealthy eccentric's travel companions.
Though I liked the settings and the plot, I most enjoyed the primary characters. All bring something to the story. Each wrestles with a personal demon. All come to appreciate the others when their lives and fortunes are on the line. I also liked that the series, which debuted on PBS in January, did not shy away from difficult topics, like racism, sexism, colonialism, and bitter family disputes.
There is also adventure. From balloon rides, train trips, and perilous voyages to encounters with bad guys, Around the World in 80 Days delivers the goods. It provides the kind of compelling old-fashioned entertainment that is often in short supply. Rating: 5/5.
November 1, 2022
Review: All Quiet on the WF
Like a lot of history buffs, I have a fascination with World War I. I have read the books, seen the movies, and featured the war as a backdrop in two — and soon to be three — of my novels.
So when I saw that Netflix was showing a new remake of perhaps the conflict's greatest story, I rushed to see it. I found All Quiet on the Western Front as riveting as anything I have seen in years.
Like Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima , All Quiet examines the horrors of war from the perspective of the losing side.
Felix Kammerer stars as Paul Bäumer, a starry-eyed German boy who dreams of guts and glory in 1917. The 17-year-old finds all that and more after he is sent to the Western Front, a 400-mile-long system of trenches that stretched across northern France.
Though the 2022 German remake focuses on the big picture, it does not neglect the small. It presents the ugliness and randomness of war through a series of compelling personal narratives.
The flick also reminds viewers of World War I's most tragic footnote. Thousands of soldiers on all sides died between the signing of the armistice of November 1918 and its implementation.
Historian Joseph Persico estimated that 10,900 were killed or wounded or went missing in the war's final act. He examined that unfortunate development at length in Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour , an interesting work I read a few years back.
Though All Quiet on the Western Front is gritty and violent at times, it is nonetheless well worth the time. I recommend it both as a movie and as a tribute to the soldiers who fell on November 11, 1918, the day that inspired our Veteran's Day holiday. Rating: 5/5.
So when I saw that Netflix was showing a new remake of perhaps the conflict's greatest story, I rushed to see it. I found All Quiet on the Western Front as riveting as anything I have seen in years.
Like Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima , All Quiet examines the horrors of war from the perspective of the losing side.
Felix Kammerer stars as Paul Bäumer, a starry-eyed German boy who dreams of guts and glory in 1917. The 17-year-old finds all that and more after he is sent to the Western Front, a 400-mile-long system of trenches that stretched across northern France.
Though the 2022 German remake focuses on the big picture, it does not neglect the small. It presents the ugliness and randomness of war through a series of compelling personal narratives.
The flick also reminds viewers of World War I's most tragic footnote. Thousands of soldiers on all sides died between the signing of the armistice of November 1918 and its implementation.
Historian Joseph Persico estimated that 10,900 were killed or wounded or went missing in the war's final act. He examined that unfortunate development at length in Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour , an interesting work I read a few years back.
Though All Quiet on the Western Front is gritty and violent at times, it is nonetheless well worth the time. I recommend it both as a movie and as a tribute to the soldiers who fell on November 11, 1918, the day that inspired our Veteran's Day holiday. Rating: 5/5.
October 24, 2022
Review: The Empress
As an American, I'm not a big fan of royals or aristocrats. I tend to view blue bloods with indifference or amusement.
As a television viewer, though, I can't get enough of them. I like watching the trials and tribulations of kings and queens and dukes and duchesses as much as football. (OK, I exaggerate.)
For that reason, I've gobbled up series like Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, The White Queen, and Outlander. I like palace intrigue and power struggles, particularly those in rich historical settings.
So I didn't need much motivation to see The Empress , a new series on Netflix. Set mostly in Vienna in the 1850s, it portrays the rise of Elisabeth, the Empress of Austria. Though the series takes a few liberties with the historical record, it nonetheless presents a compelling look at the Habsburg court and the complicated political struggles that plagued mid-nineteenth-century Europe.
Elisabeth, played by Devrim Lingnau, disrupts life in the palace even before she marries Emperor Franz Joseph at age 16. Loathed by some and beloved by others, she takes her nation by storm. A free spirit with a penchant for fun, she dispenses with rigid traditions and changes the court through the sheer force of her personality.
Others, such as Philip Froissant, who plays Franz, and Melika Foroutan, who plays Princess Sophie, the young emperor's controlling mother, also turn in strong performances.
I recommend not only The Empress , the miniseries, but also The Empress, the academic subject. Elisabeth, her husband, and their family had a profound impact on everything from the governance of Mexico to the outbreak of World War I. History, even the stodgy royal kind, does not get more entertaining. Rating: 5/5.
As a television viewer, though, I can't get enough of them. I like watching the trials and tribulations of kings and queens and dukes and duchesses as much as football. (OK, I exaggerate.)
For that reason, I've gobbled up series like Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, The White Queen, and Outlander. I like palace intrigue and power struggles, particularly those in rich historical settings.
So I didn't need much motivation to see The Empress , a new series on Netflix. Set mostly in Vienna in the 1850s, it portrays the rise of Elisabeth, the Empress of Austria. Though the series takes a few liberties with the historical record, it nonetheless presents a compelling look at the Habsburg court and the complicated political struggles that plagued mid-nineteenth-century Europe.
Elisabeth, played by Devrim Lingnau, disrupts life in the palace even before she marries Emperor Franz Joseph at age 16. Loathed by some and beloved by others, she takes her nation by storm. A free spirit with a penchant for fun, she dispenses with rigid traditions and changes the court through the sheer force of her personality.
Others, such as Philip Froissant, who plays Franz, and Melika Foroutan, who plays Princess Sophie, the young emperor's controlling mother, also turn in strong performances.
I recommend not only The Empress , the miniseries, but also The Empress, the academic subject. Elisabeth, her husband, and their family had a profound impact on everything from the governance of Mexico to the outbreak of World War I. History, even the stodgy royal kind, does not get more entertaining. Rating: 5/5.
October 2, 2022
Exploring the Big Apple
I am a relative stranger to New York. I have visited the city only once, at least at length, and know it mostly through movies and television. Even now, the metropolis is something of a mystery to me.
That is changing. Thanks to numerous books, articles, and newsreels I've perused in the past month, I’m getting to know the Big Apple, at least as it existed in 1911 and 1912, much better.
Though Arizona, Texas, and Rhode Island will make appearances in book two of the Second Chance trilogy, New York will get a star turn. All five of my protagonists, the Carpenters and Lees, will live in Brooklyn. One will work in Manhattan. A new character will come to the story from Rockaway Beach, a neighborhood in Queens.
I admit I like the learning. I love reading old issues of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle as much as I love reading books about Coney Island, John Jacob Astor IV, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, one of the defining events of the Progressive Era. I like learning about the development of New York's neighborhoods, bridges, subway system, military installations, and even its spacious public parks.
One reason I picked New York as the primary setting is because it was a big deal a hundred years ago. More so than even today, the rapidly developing city was the center of commerce, entertainment, sports, and culture. It was the beacon that lured millions of immigrants through Castle Garden and Ellis Island.
In my book, Brooklyn will take center stage. Bill, Cassie, and Annie Carpenter will occupy a brick house in Brooklyn Heights. Paul Carpenter and Andy Lee, best friends and brothers-in-law, will serve a stint as U.S. Army sergeants in nearby Fort Hamilton. All will interact with the people and places of a fascinating time.
I plan to research the setting another month and begin writing in November. I hope to publish the novel itself by May 1.
Image: New York City skyline, as seen from Jersey City, N.J., 1910-1920. Illustration courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
That is changing. Thanks to numerous books, articles, and newsreels I've perused in the past month, I’m getting to know the Big Apple, at least as it existed in 1911 and 1912, much better.
Though Arizona, Texas, and Rhode Island will make appearances in book two of the Second Chance trilogy, New York will get a star turn. All five of my protagonists, the Carpenters and Lees, will live in Brooklyn. One will work in Manhattan. A new character will come to the story from Rockaway Beach, a neighborhood in Queens. I admit I like the learning. I love reading old issues of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle as much as I love reading books about Coney Island, John Jacob Astor IV, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, one of the defining events of the Progressive Era. I like learning about the development of New York's neighborhoods, bridges, subway system, military installations, and even its spacious public parks.
One reason I picked New York as the primary setting is because it was a big deal a hundred years ago. More so than even today, the rapidly developing city was the center of commerce, entertainment, sports, and culture. It was the beacon that lured millions of immigrants through Castle Garden and Ellis Island.
In my book, Brooklyn will take center stage. Bill, Cassie, and Annie Carpenter will occupy a brick house in Brooklyn Heights. Paul Carpenter and Andy Lee, best friends and brothers-in-law, will serve a stint as U.S. Army sergeants in nearby Fort Hamilton. All will interact with the people and places of a fascinating time.
I plan to research the setting another month and begin writing in November. I hope to publish the novel itself by May 1.
Image: New York City skyline, as seen from Jersey City, N.J., 1910-1920. Illustration courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
September 4, 2022
Review: Longmire
I should have known this would happen. When I sample a riveting miniseries, I never stop at the pilot. I binge watch the whole thing -- in weeks, if not days. I keep streaming services in business.
Such is the case with Longmire , an addictive crime drama I somehow missed when it premiered on A&E in 2012. For the past several days, I have immersed myself in fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming, the primary setting of a show that ran six seasons.
In the series, Robert Taylor stars as Sheriff Walt Longmire, a prickly, old-school lawman who seems to have special insight into every crime that occurs in his surprisingly violent jurisdiction.
Others form a strong supporting cast, including rival deputy Branch Connally (Bailey Chase), loyal deputy Victoria "Vic" Moretti (Katee Sackhoff), lawyer daughter Cady Longmire (Cassidy Freeman), and longtime friend and tavern operator Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips). Along with rookie deputy Archie "The Ferg" Ferguson (Adam Bartley) and an endless stream of misbehaving locals, the regulars provide first-rate entertainment.
The backdrop is no less compelling. As a former Montana resident and occasional Wyoming visitor, I can relate to the setting. Fictional Durant, Wyoming, is like countless small towns in the northern Rockies: rough, raw, folksy, and sometimes sinister.
Even the high-plains sets and breathtaking mountain scenery, though, are no match for the sheriff. Taylor carries nearly every episode with a soft-spoken, commanding, no-nonsense manner that evokes James Arness' Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke .
I am now four episodes into the second season of Longmire , which is available in its entirely on Netflix. (My wife, who has surpassed me, is on episode seven.) I highly recommend the program to viewers looking for a captivating change of pace. Rating: 5/5.
Such is the case with Longmire , an addictive crime drama I somehow missed when it premiered on A&E in 2012. For the past several days, I have immersed myself in fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming, the primary setting of a show that ran six seasons.
In the series, Robert Taylor stars as Sheriff Walt Longmire, a prickly, old-school lawman who seems to have special insight into every crime that occurs in his surprisingly violent jurisdiction.
Others form a strong supporting cast, including rival deputy Branch Connally (Bailey Chase), loyal deputy Victoria "Vic" Moretti (Katee Sackhoff), lawyer daughter Cady Longmire (Cassidy Freeman), and longtime friend and tavern operator Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips). Along with rookie deputy Archie "The Ferg" Ferguson (Adam Bartley) and an endless stream of misbehaving locals, the regulars provide first-rate entertainment.
The backdrop is no less compelling. As a former Montana resident and occasional Wyoming visitor, I can relate to the setting. Fictional Durant, Wyoming, is like countless small towns in the northern Rockies: rough, raw, folksy, and sometimes sinister.
Even the high-plains sets and breathtaking mountain scenery, though, are no match for the sheriff. Taylor carries nearly every episode with a soft-spoken, commanding, no-nonsense manner that evokes James Arness' Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke .
I am now four episodes into the second season of Longmire , which is available in its entirely on Netflix. (My wife, who has surpassed me, is on episode seven.) I highly recommend the program to viewers looking for a captivating change of pace. Rating: 5/5.
August 14, 2022
The Second Chance Trilogy
In golf, it's called a mulligan. In life, it's called a second shot. It is another opportunity to correct a mistake, restore a relationship, or follow a new course. It is a chance to set things right.
In The Fountain , the first book in the Second Chance series, three elderly siblings have an opportunity to do that and more. Thanks to a not-so-legendary fountain of youth, they have a chance to begin life again — as young, healthy adults — in a wondrous time.
In May 2022, William Carpenter, 81, is depressed and resigned. Weeks after burying his beloved wife of 57 years, the Oregon man must look after his dying brother, Paul, 75, and their wheelchair-bound sister, Annie, 72. Bill believes his best days have come and gone.
Then the retired professor, an expert on folklore, learns of a connection between a dying "time travel" crackpot and a newborn boy in California. He investigates a succession of leads. Within weeks, Bill, Paul, and Annie find themselves in a cave in Mexico, equipped with gold and useful knowledge. They proceed to a magical spring and take the biggest leap of their unfulfilled lives.
In June 1905, Cassie Lee, 23, is a woman on the move. A literature teacher at an elite high school in Oakland, California, she dreams of a successful career in education. Even in a world run by men, she sees clear sailing ahead. She does not see meaningful encounters with a trio of time travelers. Nor does the San Francisco resident see a devastating earthquake and fire that will destoy her city on April 18, 1906.
In The Fountain , I depart a bit from my typical routine. Though I offer readers time travel, humor, history, romance, and suspense, I also offer them markedly different perspectives. Bill, Paul, and Annie view their new surroundings with experienced eyes. They take their knowledge — and numerous battle scars — with them to the early twentieth century. They live as young people with old minds.
With this novel, I also begin a trilogy. The Second Chance series will continue with stories set in New York City in 1911-1912 and the American South and France in 1917-1918. For the first time in years, I will tell a family's story in three books, instead of five.
The Fountain is my twenty-first novel. The Kindle edition goes on sale today at Amazon.com and its eighteen international marketplaces. I intend to release the paperback edition in early September.
In The Fountain , the first book in the Second Chance series, three elderly siblings have an opportunity to do that and more. Thanks to a not-so-legendary fountain of youth, they have a chance to begin life again — as young, healthy adults — in a wondrous time.
In May 2022, William Carpenter, 81, is depressed and resigned. Weeks after burying his beloved wife of 57 years, the Oregon man must look after his dying brother, Paul, 75, and their wheelchair-bound sister, Annie, 72. Bill believes his best days have come and gone.
Then the retired professor, an expert on folklore, learns of a connection between a dying "time travel" crackpot and a newborn boy in California. He investigates a succession of leads. Within weeks, Bill, Paul, and Annie find themselves in a cave in Mexico, equipped with gold and useful knowledge. They proceed to a magical spring and take the biggest leap of their unfulfilled lives. In June 1905, Cassie Lee, 23, is a woman on the move. A literature teacher at an elite high school in Oakland, California, she dreams of a successful career in education. Even in a world run by men, she sees clear sailing ahead. She does not see meaningful encounters with a trio of time travelers. Nor does the San Francisco resident see a devastating earthquake and fire that will destoy her city on April 18, 1906.
In The Fountain , I depart a bit from my typical routine. Though I offer readers time travel, humor, history, romance, and suspense, I also offer them markedly different perspectives. Bill, Paul, and Annie view their new surroundings with experienced eyes. They take their knowledge — and numerous battle scars — with them to the early twentieth century. They live as young people with old minds.
With this novel, I also begin a trilogy. The Second Chance series will continue with stories set in New York City in 1911-1912 and the American South and France in 1917-1918. For the first time in years, I will tell a family's story in three books, instead of five.
The Fountain is my twenty-first novel. The Kindle edition goes on sale today at Amazon.com and its eighteen international marketplaces. I intend to release the paperback edition in early September.
